Floor rack



June 5, 1951 A. F. O'CONNOR FLOOR RACK Filed Sept. 28, 1946 Patented June 5, 1951 FLOOR RACK Arthur F. OConnor, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, a corporation of Illinois Application September 28, 1946, Serial No. 700,077

4 Claims.

This invention relates to floor racks and more particularly to lading supporting racks of the type used in railway refrigerator cars and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a floor rack which resiliently support the lading to absorb vertical shocks due to operation over rought track or at high speed.

Another object is to provide a lading supporting rack in which the vertical loads are carried by levers resiliently biased in a direction to urge the lading upward. According to one feature of the invention, a single spring unit may act on a plurality of levers to insure against tipping of the rack.

Still another object is to provide a floor rack in which stringers are supported on the floor of the car or a plurality of spaced base blocks. This cheapens and lightens the construction and provides a more open structure for circulation of air and drainage of liquid.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a floor rack with parts broken away and in sections;

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1.

The rack of the present invention may be mounted in any conventional type of car having a floor sheet indicated at Ill, and a side wall II supported by a longitudinally extending beam [2.

The floor rack comprises a plurality of rack sections, each of which is formed by two or more parallel stringers each extending the full length of a rack section and across which slats are carried to support the lading.

As shown, each of the stringers comprises three base blocks l3, I4, and I 5 which are adapted to rest on the floor of the car. An inverted channel-shaped supporting strip l6 fits slidably over the base blocks for vertical movement thereon. A slat structure I'I formed by a plurality of inverted channels extends across the supporting strips and may be secured thereto by welding or the like. It will be understood that the slats I! are preferably perforated for circulation of air therethrough and around the lading.

The supporting strip I6 of each stringer is urged upward relative to the base blocks by a pair of levers I8. As best seen in Figure 1, the

levers [8 are pivoted at their outer ends to the base blocks I3 and I5 at points l3 and I5 respectively and are joined intermediate their ends to the strip I6 by cross pins I9. The lever are of such a length that their free ends will overlap slightly, and they are preferably connected by a pin 2l' slidable in slots 22 in the end portions of the levers. A string 23 acts between the center base block I4 and the pin 2| to urge the free ends of the levers upward.

Each of the supporting strips I6 extends the full length of a rack section to tie together securely the slats of the section. For relatively short rack sections as shown in Figure 1 the base blocks l3 and I5 may lie adjacent the ends of the supporting strip I6 with the block HI at the strip center. For extremely long rack sections it may be desirable to duplicate the base block, lever and spring structure adjacent each end of each supporting strip to avoid making the length of levers l8 excessive.

With this construction, the supporting strip I6 is carried on the pins I9 and is urged upward with equal force at spaced points in its length. Due to connection of the levers, the supporting strip will be kept level at all times so that the rack structure and the lading cannot tilt. As the rack is loaded, the sprin 23 will be compressed allowing the strip I6 to move downward so that the lading will be resiliently supported to absorb vertical shocks. Upward movement of the strip on the base blocks may be limited by bolts 24 extending through vertical slots in the end blocks I3 and I5 and by bolts 25 extending through upwardly projecting loops 26 on the center base block I4.

In order that the rack can be swung up to facilitate cleaning of the car floor, it is pivoted to the car side wall. As shown, a bracket 21 secured to one of the supporting strips I6 carries a pin 28 which is slidable and rotatable in a slot 29 in a hinge bracket 3|. With this construction, the supporting strips and slat structure can move vertically without interference from the hinge and the entire rack can be swung about the pin 28 to a vertical position at the side of the car to permit cleaning of the car floor.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that this is illustrative only and is not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a floor rack for a railway car or the like,

2. In a floor rack for a railway car or the like, 10

a stringer comprising an inverted channeleshaped supporting strip, a plurality of base blocks. fitting slidably in the strip, means to 1imit'ver=' tical movement of the blocks re1ative to;the

strip, a lever pivoted at spaced'pointsito the strip 15 and to one of the blocks, and a spring engaging another block and the leverand-urging thelever.

in a direction to move the blocks downward relative to the strip.

3. A floor rack for aerailway car or the like 20 comprisinga plurality of "parallel stringers and slatscrossingandsecuredto the stringers, each of the; stringers comprising base means, an inverted.- channel-shapedsupporting strip slidabl'e overthebase-meansand to which the slats are 25 secured, means. to limit relative vertical vmove-- mentof the strip and the base means, a lever pivoted at-spaced'points, to the strip and. the

base means, and a spring engaging the base means and the lever and urging the lever in a direction to raise the strip relative to the base.

4. A fioor rack for a railway car or the like comprising a plurality of parallel stringers and slats crossing and secured to the stringers, each of the stringers comprising base means, an inverted channel-shaped supporting strip slidable over the base means and to which the slats are secured, means to limit relative vertical move ment of the strip and the base means, a pair of levers pivoted at spaced points to the strip and the" base means with their free ends extending toward-"each other, and a spring engaging the free ends ofthe levers and the base means and urgingthe levers in a direction to raise the strip relative to the base.

ARTHUR F. OCONNOR.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollo'wing references are of record ingthe me of" this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Barler et a1: Dec;'29,"1936 

